How to Install a Leaf Net Over a Pond

Pond netting catches leaves before they can muck up your pond.

A garden pond meant to add peace and tranquility to your outdoor oasis becomes a nuisance when you must spend the first warm days of spring cleaning leaves and other fallen debris from the bottom of the pond. Fallen leaves, an inevitable consequence of growing deciduous trees in your yard, decay on the pond bottom, leading to murky water and creating a habitat for unwanted creatures. Pond netting installed in early autumn catches leaves as they fall. Suspend the netting over the frame to protect fish from hungry birds and prevent thirsty animals from becoming tangled in the net.

1

Pound 12-inch lengths of 1/2-inch diameter rebar 8 inches into the ground at a 45-degree angle, with the rebar pointing toward the pond. Use a hammer to drive the rebar into the ground. Space the rebar 4 feet apart along the length of the pond. Install rebar on the opposite side of the pond, positioned directly across from the rebar on the first side.

2

Measure the distance across the pond between rebar pieces. Measure from the point where the rebar meets the ground. Cut a piece of 3/4-inch diameter PVC pipe for each corresponding pair of rebar; the pipe length should be equal to twice the measurement between the rebar pairs.

3

Slide one end of the PVC pipe onto the rebar, pushing the pipe all the way down until it meets the ground. Bend the pipe into an arch over the pond and push the opposite end onto the corresponding rebar stake. Repeat this process along the length of the pond.

4

Measure the distance from the arching PVC pipe at one end to the pipe at the opposite end of the pond. Cut a piece of 3/4-inch diameter PVC pipe equal to roughly twice this measurement. The piece should be long enough to bend the ends to the ground.

5

Lay the long PVC pipe across the top of the PVC arches to form a central rib to stabilize the arches. Tie this pipe to the PVC arches, using twine, zip ties or wire in an "X" pattern.

6

Bend each end of the central rib to the ground. Install two more rebar stakes where the pipe touches the ground. Push the ends of the pipe over the rebar stakes.

7

Spread the net evenly over the PVC pipe frame. The net should touch the ground on all sides; overlap the ends of multiple nets by about 2 feet if one net isn't large enough to provide adequate coverage.

8

Drive 12-inch metal stakes into the ground through the grommet holes along the edges of the net, using a rubber mallet. If your net doesn't have grommets, insert the stake in the holes of the net and pin it down to the ground.

9

Tie the net to the PVC pipes, using string, zip ties or wire spaced every 2 to 3 feet along each pipe.

Things You Will Need

1/2-inch diameter rebar, 12 inches long

Hammer

Measuring tape

3/4-inch diameter PVC pipe

Hacksaw

Twine, zip ties or wire

12-inch metal stakes

Rubber mallet

Tip

You may be able to simply push the ends of the pipes into the ground without the need for anchoring rebar stakes.

About the Author

A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.